Weir Minerals Africa has big plans for Electra Mining

Weir Minerals Africa, which enjoyed excellent attendance at its stand at the last Electra Mining Africa in 2018, will once again be exhibiting its extensive range of minerals processing equipment at this year’s show where it will have a capacious 300 m2 outdoor exhibit.

“After the cancellation of Electra Mining in 2020 due to COVID, we see this year’s event as an excellent opportunity to see our customers and to display some of our latest products and technology-driven solutions,” says Rajen Govender, Regional Managing Director of Weir Minerals Africa, which forms part of the global, LSE-listed Weir Group. “We’re hoping to see not only our South African customers at the stand but also our customers from other parts of our region, including the Middle East, Central Africa, West Africa, East Africa and SADC, regions where we’re currently experiencing a significant upsurge in business.” “We’re making a special effort to send out invitations in advance to ensure maximum face-to-face interaction with our customers.” Weir Minerals Africa is busy extending its sales and service network across the African continent and the Middle East, with a particular focus on West Africa, which has emerged over the past two decades as one of the world’s growing mining regions. The company already has branches in Ghana and Senegal and, in a recent breakthrough, secured its first major order for Nigeria. “Our strategic intent has always been to be where our customers need us to be,” remarks Govender. “While we are well represented throughout Africa and the Middle East, we believe there are still opportunities to extend our footprint – and the technologies we offer – to countries where we currently have little or no permanent presence.” While the African reach of Weir Minerals Africa will be highlighted at Electra Mining Africa, the company will also be emphasising its significant manufacturing capability. Not only does it have factories in Isando and Alrode in Gauteng but it also owns and operates the Heavy Bay Foundry (HBF) at Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape. This facility will soon be expanded, increasing the capacity to serve the African market. “We’re very proud of our manufacturing facilities, which are extremely sophisticated and which are turning out products with a very high local content, in some cases 100 %,” says Govender. “This capability gives us a competitive edge in terms of costs, customisation and fast turnaround of orders. Like most companies, we have been affected by the current disruption of the global supply chain but the impact has